Metier



A. W. KEIGHT Dec. 26, 1950 METIER Filed June 15, 1948 INVENTOR.

ALBERT VV. KEIGHT.

ATTORN EVS Patented Dec. 26, 1950 METIER Albert W. Keight, CumberlandMd, assignor to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation ofDelaware Application June 15, 1948, Serial No. 33,021

8 Claims.

This invention relates to filament spinning apparatus, and relates moreparticularly to a novel door construction for a filament spinningcabinet or metier and also to novel filament guide means employed inconnection with said door.

In the production of textile filaments by the so-called dry-spinningprocess, a solution of filament-forming material in a volatile solventis forced through a spinning jet located at the top of a metier. As thefilaments travel downwardly, the solvent is evaporated by means of astream of heated air or other gas passing through the metier. Thefilaments, now relatively free from solvent, are drawn from the nietier,in contact with a filament guide which changes their direction of travelfrom generally vertical to generally horizontal, through a filamentaperture, located near the bottom of the front wall of th metier, to anysuitable filament lubricating and take-up apparatus. In the past, theangle of contact between the filaments and the filament guide has rangedfrom 60 to 90 degrees producing considerable frictional drag andincreasing the tension in the filaments between the filament guide andtake-up apparatus, thereby limiting the inaximum spinning speed.

It has also been customary in the past to position the filament guide ata considerable distance from the filament aperture, thereby reducing theaccuracy with which the filaments were guided and necessitating arelatively large aperture to pevent accidental contact between thefilaments and the aperture walls. The large filament aperture was alsonecessary to permit the filaments to be readily threaded through themetier wall when spinning was started or after a filament break. Thepresence of a large filament aperture was a serious disadvantage,however, since it permitted the escape of vapor laden air from themetier when the pressure insde the metier was above atmospheric, andpermitted an undesirable quantity of air to be drawn into the metierwhen the inside pressure was below atmospheric. The latter was anespecially serious defect when a downdraft of air from the top of themetier was produced by exhausting the air from a point near the bottom.of the meti r, since aspiration of air into the filam nt apertureshortcircuited the desired downdraft. Previous proposals' to reduce thesize of the filament aperture and avoid short-circuiting the air streamwere unsuccessful: since the threading and guiding difiiculties rem inedunsolved.

It is, accordingly, important object of this invention. to. provide asimple door structure and 2 a simple filament guide means" for use withsaid door structure, which will be free from threading and guidingdifiiculties and permit of the use or a small filament aperture.

A further object of this invention is to provide a metier in which thecontact angle between the filament and the filament guide issubstantially less than 60 degrees.

Other objects of this invention, together with certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, will appear from the followingdetailed description and the claims.

I have found that the freshly-spun filaments may be automatically andaccurately threaded and guided through a filament aperture by providing.a pivotaliy mounted door to close an opening in the metier wall, formingthe filament aperture so as to intersect lower edge of said opening, andproviding two filament guides, an upper guide adapted to guide thefilaments when spin ning is being started a lower guide fastened to thepivoted door and adapted to guide the filaments during normal spinning.By vertically aligning both the upper and lower guides and the filamentaperture, and suitably positioning the guides relative to each other, itis possible to have the lower guide automatically pick the filamentsfrom the upper guide as the door is closed and guide them accuratelyinto and through the filament aperture. This construction also permitsof the use of a low contact angle between the filaments and the lowerguide without impairing the accuracy with which the filaments areguided, thereby reducing the frictional drag and filament tension.

A preferred embodiment of my invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawing in whic Fig. l is across-sectionalview of the lower portion of a inetier, showing my novel door'structureand filament guide-means,

Fig. 2 is across-sectional view taken on the line 2*? of Fig. 1, showingthe construction of the inside of the door,

Fig. 3 isa cross-sectional view or" the door taken on theline 33 0 Fig.2 and,

Fig. i. is a detail view of one of the filament guide means.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates thefilarnents (solidline) asthey pass down-' wardly through the metier 2, over the filamentguide, indicated generally by the reference numeral and through thefilament aperturev tto any suitable filament drawing, lubricating andtake-up apparatus (not shown) with. .thedoor 6 closed for spinning. Thedoor 6 is pivotally mounted on a door frame I by means of a spring hinge8, which is tensioned to hold the door in the open position, door 6being held closed during spinning by any suitable latching means. Thedoor frame 1 is positioned to outline an opening in inclined wall 9,near the lower end of the metier 2.

The filament guide 3 includes a base portion Ill and an end portion l lbent at an angle to the plane of base portion if A generally V- shapedcut-out E2, in end portion H of the guide 3 provides a filament guidingopening, defined by arms 53, having an insert I4 of synthetic sapphireor other suitable bearing material at its apex. The bearing surface 16of insert i4 is suitably finished and rounded and has a contact anglesubstantially below 60 degrees and preferably between 18 and 20 degreeswith the filaments passing in contact therewith, thereby reducing thefrictional drag and tension on the filaments. The filament guide 3 isadjustably and removably fastened to door 6 by screws l1 passing throughslots 18 in base portion It],

with the apex of the V-shaped cut-out i2 vertically aligned abovefilament aperture 4. When the bearing surface of the filament guide 3becomes worn the entire unit may be readily removed and replaced byloosening screws ll, sliding the old unit out, sliding the new unit inand tightening screws H.

A second filament guiding member IQ of stainless steel, or othersuitable material is mounted on door frame I by screws 29 and projectsinto the metier 2. The leading edge of the projecting portion offilament guiding member I!) is provided with two tapers 22 and 23forming a shallow V-shaped groove 24 which is above and verticallyaligned with the V-shaped filament guiding cut-out 12.

In operation, when pinning is started, door 6 is opened to the positionshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the operator pulls the filamentsfrom the metier and leads them to the filament drawing, lubricating andtake-up apparatus. The filaments assume the position shown by the dottedline in Fig. l, riding on the filament guiding member l9, and areautomatically centered by the \l-shaped groove 24. After the filamentshave been engaged by the drawing apparatus, the door 5 is closed and,during olosing, the filaments are automatically picked off filamentguide l9 by the filament guide 3 which positions the filaments to passthrough filament aperture 4.

Owin to the close spacing of the filament guide and filament aperture,there is no opportunity for the filaments to weave and the filamentaperture need be only slightly larger than the filaments passing throughit. The small lament aperture does not create any difiiculties duringstarting since the filaments are automatically positioned to pas throughthe aperture without any special care by the operator. Since thefilaments almost fill the aperture during spinning very little air canbe drawn into or forced out of the aperture, thus avoidingshort-circuiting of the air stream which has been so objectionable inprevious downdraft structure and in the filament guide employedtherewith, without departing from the spirit of this invention. Forexample, the filament aperture may be located in the door frame, orpartly in the door frame and partly in the door, so long as itintersects the lower edge of the opening in the metier wall.Furthermore, the angle of inclination of wall 9 and door 6 may be variedover a large range or they may be vertical without altering the mannerof operation of the metier. Several groups of filaments may be passedthrough spaced apertures in a single door, although it is preferable tohave only a single group of filaments passin through a single door.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is givenmerely by way of illustration and that many variations may be madetherein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. In a filament treating apparatus having an opening in a wall thereoffor the passage of filaments, the combination with a door pivotallymounted to close said opening, of means including a filament apertureintersecting the lower edge of said opening, filament guide meanscoopcrating with said opening to guide filaments through said openingwhen said door is opened and other filament guide means cooperating withsaid filament aperture to guide the same filaments through said filamentaperture when said door is closed, the construction and arrangement ofsaid filament guide means being such that the filaments are in operativecontact with only one of said filament guide means at any one time.

2. In a filament treatingapparatus having an opening in a wall thereoffor he passage of filaments, the combination with a door pivotallymounted to close said opening, of means including a filament apertureintersecting "the lower edge of said opening, an upper filament guidemeans cooperating with said opening to guide filaments through saidopening when said door is opened and a lower filament guide means fixedto and movable with said door and cooperating with said filamentaperture to guide the same filaments through said filament aperture whensaid door is closed, the construction and arrangement of said filamentguide means being such that the filaments are in operative contact withonly one of said filament guide means at any one time.

3. In a filament treating apparatus having an opening in a wall thereof,for the passage of filaments, the combination with a door pivotallymounted to close said opening, of means including a filament apertureintersecting the lower edge of said opening, an upper filament guidemeans projecting past sai Wall and having its projecting edge tapered todefine a generally V- shaped filament guiding groove cooperatingwithsaid opening to guide filaments through said opening when said door isopen, and a lower filament guide means fixed to and movable with saiddoor, and having arms defining a generally V- shaped filament guidinggroove cooperating with said filament aperture to guide the samefilaments through said filament aperture when said door is closed, theconstruction and arrange-ment of said filament guide means being suchthat the filaments are in operative contact with only one of saidfilament guide means at any one time.

4. In a filament treating apparatus having an opening in a wall thereoffor thepassage of fila-.

merits, the combination with a door pivotally mounted to close saidopening, of means including a filament aperture intersecting the loweredge of said opening, an upper filament guide means projecting past saidWall and having its projecting edge tapered to define a generally.l-shaped filament guiding groove cooperating with said opening to guidefilaments through said opening when said door is open, and a lowerfilament guide means fixed to and movable with said door, and havingarms defining a generally V-shaped filament guiding groove cooperatingwith said filament aperture to guide the same filaments through saidfilament aperture when said door is closed, said filament guiding meansand said filament aperture lying in a common vertical plane.

5. In a filament treating apparatus having an opening in a wall thereoffor the passage of filaments, the combination with a door pivotallymounted to close said opening, of means including a filament apertureintersecting the lower edge of said opening, filament guide meanscooperating with said opening to guide filaments through said openingwhen said door is opened and other filament guide means cooperating withsaid filament aperture to guide the same filaments through said filamentaperture when said door is closed, said second filament guide meansprojecting past said first filament guide means when said door is closedand acting to lift the filaments from said first filament guide means assaid door is closed.

6. In a filament treating apparatus having an opening in a wall thereoffor the passage of filaments, the combination with a door pivotallymounted to close said opening, of means including a filament apertureintersectingthe lower edge of said opening, an upper filament guidemeans cooperating with said opening to guide filaments through saidopening when said door is opened and a lower filament guide means fixedto and movable with said door and cooperating with said filamentaperture to guide the same filaments through said filament aperture whensaid door is closed, said lower filament guide means projecting pastsaid first filament guide means when said door is closed and acting tolift the filaments from said upper filament guide means as said door isclosed.

7. In a filament treating apparatus having an opening in a wall thereof,for the passage of filaments, the combination with a door pivotallymounted to close said opening, of means including a filament apertureintersecting the lower edge of said opening, an upper filament guidemeans projecting past said wall and having its projecting edge taperedto define a generally V- shaped filament guiding groove cooperating withsaid opening to guide filaments through said opening when said door isopen, and a lower filament guide means fixed to and movable with saiddoor and having arms defining a generally V- shaped filament guidinggroove cooperating with said filament aperture to guide the samefilaments through said filament aperture when said door is closed, saidlower filament guide means projecting past said first filament guidemeans when said door is closed and acting to lift the filaments fromsaid upper filament guide means as said door is closed.

8. In a filament treating apparatus having an opening in a wall thereoffor the passage of filaments, the combination with a door pivotallymounted at its upper edge to close said opening, of means including afilament aperture intersecting the lower edge of said opening, an upperfilament guide means projecting past said wall and having its projectingedge tapered to define a generally V-shaped filament guiding groovecooperatingwith said opening to guide filaments through said openingwhen said door is open, and a lower filament guide means fixed to andmovable with said door and having arms defining a generally V-shapedfilament guiding groove cooperating with said filament aperture to guidethe same filaments through said filament aperture when said door isclosed, said lower filament guide means projecting past, said firstfilament guide means when said door is closed and acting to lift thefilaments from said upper filament guide means as said door is closed.

ALBERT VI. KEIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,070,036 Houghton Aug. 12, 19131,949,983 Taylor Mar. 6, 1934 1,994,556 Butler Mar. 19, 1935 2,072,928Taylor et a1 s- Mar. 9, 1937 2,217,707 Samerdyke et al. Oct. 15, 1940

